Siege of Naxos (490 BC)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Siege of Naxos (490 BC)
partof=the Persian Wars


caption=Location of Naxos
date=490 BC
place=Naxos, Cyclades
result=Persian victory.
territory=Naxos annexed by Persia.
combatant1=Naxos
combatant2=Achaemenid Empire
commander1=Unknown
commander2=Datis,
Artaphernes
strength1=38,000 men,
190 ships
strength2=20,000-60,000 men,
600 ships
casualties1= Very Heavy
casualties2= Minimal

The Siege of Naxos (490 BC) was fought between the people of Naxos and the Persians under the command of Datis and Artaphernes who were on their way to attack Eretria and Athens. The Siege of Naxos was part of the Persian Wars.

The Ionian Revolt started in 499 BC after the Persians were defeated by the Naxians in the Siege of Naxos earlier that year. The Persians managed to defeat the rebels in 494 BC. Darius I of Persia wanted revenge so he ordered that a fleet and an army under the command of Datis and Artaphernes invade Greece. The Persians surprised the Naxians who abandoned their city and fled to the mountains. Finding the city abandoned, the Persians burnt it and took whoever they caught as slaves.

Prelude

In 500 BC, the island of Naxos was besieged by the Persian Empire with the help of Naxian exiles and their Ionian Greeks allies. The Naxians had been warned about the invasion by the Persian commander, Megabates and they were prepared for the siege. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=5.33 V,33] ] The siege lasted for four months before the Persians ran out of gold and resources and they were forced to retreat. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=5.34 V,34] ]

The commander of the Ionians, Aristagoras who had said he would pay for the expenses of the campaign lost his favor with the Persians and he incited the Ionians to revolt against the Persians. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=5.36 V,36] ] The revolt lasted until 494 BC when the Persian navy crushed the Greek fleet at the Battle of Lade. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=5.33 V,33] ] Aristagoras was killed in a battle against the Thracians in Thrace after fleeing from Ionia. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.18 VI,18] ] Darius wanted revenge on the Naxians for the defeat as well as the Eretrians and the Athenians because they sent ships to help the revolt. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=5.126 V,126] ] In 490 BC, Darius organized a large fleet of about 600 ships, in which about 300 of them were warships or triremes and the rest were transport carriers. Accompanying the fleet was an army of between 20,000 to 60,000, whom were generally the typical lightly-armed Takabara infantry.

Naxos

The commanders of the expedition were Datis, who was a Mede and Artaphernes, Darius' nephew. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.94 VI,94] ] They met the main army in Cilicia and from there they sailed to Samos. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.95 VI,95] ] From Samos they navigated to Ikaria and from there the amphibious force sailed from island to island until they came upon Naxos. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.95 VI,95] ] The Naxians were surprised when they saw the Persian fleet and they fled to the mountains. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.96 VI,96] ] When the Persians disembarked they looted and burnt the capitol of Naxos and they enslaved anyone they caught. As a result, Naxos was annexed to the Persian Empire.

Aftermath

Following the capture of Naxos, the Persian fleet began island-hopping and forced the islanders to give them men for their army. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.99 VI,99] ] When the Persians finished with the islands they headed to Euboea where they started to besiege Eretria. They managed to capture Eretria in six days after some prominent citizens opened the gates. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.101 VI,101] ] From Eretria the Persians landed at Marathon and had plans from there to go and besiege Athens. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.102 VI,102] ] But before they could advance, the combined armies of Athens and Plataea defeated them at Marathon and forced them to retreat back to Asia Minor. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=6.115 VI,115] ] Naxos remained part of the Persian Empire until 479 BC when they defected from the Persian fleet at Salamis and joined the victorious Greek navy. [Herodotus [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0126&layout=&loc=8.46 VIII,8.46] ]

Notes

References

Primary Sources

* Herodotus, translated by Robin Waterfield (1998). The Histories. New York:Oxford World's Classics. ISBN 0-19-282425-2